CHAPTER XXVI. DIAMONDS VS. FREEDOM.

Previous

“If you could show us a picture of how to get out of here, I’d a heap rather see it,” snorted the captain indignantly. “What good does that critter with the merry-go-round name do us, when we’re penned up in here? Can you tell me that?”

But the professor was deaf to the New Englander’s scornful remarks. With a sheet of paper and a pencil he was busy taking a rubbing of the scrawled picture on the wall.

“Idt gorresponds in efery impordandt detail midt der pictures in der files of der society in Ber-r-r-lin,” he declared.

“Yes, and a fat chance your drawing has of ever sharing a bunk with it, if we don’t sight a change in the weather pretty soon,” growled the old sailor.

But the professor was deaf to these remarks. He worked painstakingly till he had reduced to paper a complete rubbing of the wall picture. Then he drew out a sketch book and made a carefully detailed drawing of it. As he worked, he actually hummed an odd little tune to himself. For the time being, in the glory of his discovery, he had completely forgotten in what grave danger he, and all of them, stood.

It was about mid-afternoon that the lattice-work at the top of the chamber was removed and some food, in stone jars, was lowered to them. With it came a jar of water and some coarse kind of bread made out of corn. The stuff in the jars proved to be some sort of stew, with peppers and other vegetables in it. It was not at all bad and they made a hearty meal, using a small cup in turns by way of a spoon.

They felt somewhat better after the meal, such as it was, and while the professor continued his scrutiny of the walls, the others discussed their situation in all its bearings. The captain gazed longingly up toward the lattice which had been replaced after the food had been lowered.

“If only we had some way of climbing up there,” he said, “we’d at least have a fighting chance. That is, pervidin’ these varmints ain’t bust up the flying ship by this time.”

This last was not a thought to ease their anxiety. If they were to escape at all, they knew that it must be by means of the flying auto-ship. If the Indians had demolished it, they would not be much better off even if they did escape from their prison. In that trackless jungle they could hardly go a league without getting into difficulties. It would be a simple matter for the Indians to overtake them and effect their re-capture, in which case they would be even worse off.

“I wonder if it wouldn’t be possible to bribe one of them to give us our freedom,” said Mr. Chadwick, after a long silence, during which he had been absorbed in deep thought.

“How do you mean?” asked the captain. “These chaps have no use for money, and what else could you offer ‘em?”

“The diamonds,” rejoined Mr. Chadwick quietly.

“By the Flying Dutchman, I’d clean forgotten all about ‘em! Maybe we could buy one of ‘em in that way. It’s worth trying, anyhow. Are you sure you’ve got ‘em safe?”

“Here they are,” said Mr. Chadwick, diving into his garments and producing from his belt the six glistening stones.

The captain selected the largest and balanced it in his hand, toying with it as if he found a delight in its flashing, pellucid beauty. Mr. Chadwick had slipped the others back into his belt.

“Cracky, what a stone!” muttered the captain, as he examined the diamond. “It’s a king’s ransom, that’s what it is, and here we are sitting around like bumps on a log and might as well be at the North Pole for all the good it is. Hullo! What’s that?”

A shadow had suddenly cut off the flood of afternoon sunlight that was pouring into their place of captivity through the lattice work grating. They all looked up swiftly and beheld the face of the red-robed interpreter. At once Captain Sprowl made a rapid movement to conceal the stone, but he was too late. The Indian, as had been noticed by them, had a remarkably expressive face. They could read on it as plain as print, as they looked up at him, that he had seen the diamond.

At almost the same instant his countenance vanished.

“There! Consarn it all!” grumbled the captain. “Now the fat’s in the fire for fair. He’s off to see the rest of the bunch and tell ‘em about the diamond. It’s all off now.”

“Do you think he will do that?” asked Mr. Chadwick.

“I do. Don’t you?” asked the skipper with some surprise.

“No, I don’t.”

“Why not?”

“For one reason, it wouldn’t be human nature. That fellow, if he covets the stone at all, will want it for himself. If he makes public what he knows, the stone will go to the chief. He has every reason for saying nothing.”

“Humph! I dunno but what that’s so. I reckon Injuns ain’t a heap different from other folks when it comes down to diamonds.”

“Especially in this case. I imagine from the fact that these stones were found in the canoe with the idol that they have some special significance. The thieves who took the idol must have found the stones not far from it, for it is not reasonable to suppose that having attempted such a daring feat they would waste much time in hunting for other booty.”

“Wa’al, that does sound reasonable,” admitted the captain. “I wish that chap would come back. I’d like to ‘parlez-vous’ a bit with him, or rather ‘habla Espanol,’ although it does puzzle a Christian to make out whether he’s talking Spanish or Chinee.”

Darkness came on and there was no sign of the reappearance of the interpreter. But nobody else had disturbed them, which appeared to confirm Mr. Chadwick’s theory that the man would keep his discovery to himself. It was probably some four hours after darkness had fallen that a whisper was borne to them from above.

“SeÑor Capitan!” came the voice in low, cautious tones.

“That’s red-jacket for a million,” declared the skipper.

“Hullo,” he responded, “what do you want?”

From this point on, the conversation was in Spanish. But the captain’s frequent asides enabled the listeners to keep track of what was said. Not to detail the worthy skipper’s remarks, he informed his companions that “red-jacket,” as he called the interpreter, was prepared to lower a rope ladder and escort them to their machine, which he declared to be uninjured, if they on their part would give him the diamond.

As Mr. Chadwick had guessed, the stone had a religious significance. From what “red-jacket” said, it was one of six such stones, the possession of which proclaimed their owners the high-priests of the ugly idol. The state of Chekla’s kingdom was restless. There was a sort of movement against the priests; but the interpreter thought that if he could get possession of the diamond he would be able to gain great ascendency in his country, and possibly become the next ruler in case Chekla was overthrown. At any rate, they didn’t bother much over his reasons for wanting the diamond. All they knew was that he was willing to barter their liberty for it, and that he appeared to have no idea that they still retained the other five stones.

“He says that if we’ll give him the stone, he’ll be here some time during the night with a rope ladder,” said the captain.

“Do you think he’s to be trusted?” asked Mr. Chadwick.

“Well, it’s just this way,” was the response. “If we give him the diamond and he doesn’t make good, we are no worse off than we were before. On the other hand, I think we can trust him. For one thing, he’s convinced that the diamond has something to do with that idol, and probably figures that the idol would fix him if he tried any funny business.”

“That sounds reasonable,” said Mr. Chadwick. “What do you think, boys?”

“I’d give him a peck of ‘em to get out of here,” declared Tom—a sentiment which the others heartily endorsed. The diamonds were as so much dross to them beside their liberty.

The captain spoke a few words rapidly to the unseen figure at the lattice and soon a long string made of a grape vine came snaking down. It had a lump of pitch or rubber at the end, and in this the captain embedded what was, without doubt, one of the finest diamonds in the world.

“Talk about castin’ pearls before swine,” he growled as the rope was drawn upward. “But then it’s worth it. Yes, by Jim Hill, if he makes good, it’s worth it.”

The next few hours were passed in what can only be described as an agony of suspense. The chances that “red-jacket” would play them false seemed to overwhelmingly outweigh the possibilities of his making good on his word. As the time dragged slowly by, they declared again and again that they had been fooled into giving up the stone, and despair came near overmastering the younger members of the party.

But just when it appeared impossible that they could endure the suspense a minute longer, they heard the lattice-work grating being moved. Through the opening they could see the stars, and then came a rustling, grating sound and the lower end of a ladder, formed from twisted creepers, with iron-wood rungs dropped amongst them.


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Clyx.com


Top of Page
Top of Page